TITAN Taichi TP-15TC & TP-25TC 2-in-1 USB Charger Review

TITAN Taichi TP-15TC & TP-25TC 2-in-1 USB Charger Introduction:

A long drive is pretty boring without some good old Blues to keep me going. I’m lucky enough to have a Bluetooth receiver integrated in the sound system of the car, so I use an Internet radio app on my Android phone to listen to my favorite channels. The data usage and the streaming tend to drain the battery quite a bit and plugging the phone in to the USB car charger is mandatory to keep everything running. Most car chargers have one USB port and are not really geared to provide the 2.1A needed for power hungry devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 that I use. Power limitation aside, it starts to get a bit tricky when I need to plug in the GPS, too, to a one port charger! It also gets really out of hand when there are passengers (especially your own kids) with their own devices to charge. Usually the car ends up being a dictatorship where my music takes precedence over everyone else’s needs! So you can imagine my joy and relief when I received the two USB car chargers that I will be reviewing for you today. The TITAN Taichi TP-15TC & TP-25TC 2in1 USB Charger units solved all my problems and provided extra utility on top of that.

The Taichi TP-15TC and Taichi TP-25TC are part of the Power Series product line from TITAN Technology Limited, a Taiwanese company established in 1989. I have to say that my only interaction with the company so far was that of a puzzled man trying to make sense of a CPU cooler advertising banner with wolves in it. My whole perspective changed after taking a quick tour on the company’s websites (there is an old website and it seems that everything is being migrated to the new – and better looking – one). TITAN Technology Limited has an impressive product catalog including fans, CPU coolers, cables, chargers, and power inverters. Today I will be looking at the Taichi TP-15TC and Taichi TP-25TC 2in1 USB Chargers. First I will do the presentations, then we will talk performance.

TITAN Taichi TP-15TC 2-in-1 USB Charger Closer Look:

The Taichi TP-15TC comes in a box made of glossy thick paper with a small peek window towards the top. The box is literally covered in text, logos, and pictures. The top shows the TITAN logo, name, and a section of the clear window. The front presents the item inside by name while reminding the potential buyers that this is not your average USB charger; it's also a car battery tester! It seems that the patent is still pending for this device that has a max output of 3A combined between the two USB ports available. The left side reiterates some of the previous info then displays a small picture of the charger with a legend showing where everything is located. Towards the bottom a list of compatible portable devices is listed. Tablets, GPS, Cameras, Smart Phones; you name it and the Taichi TP-15TC seems to be able to handle it thanks to its two USB ports rated respectively at 1A and 2.4A.

The back of the box shows a translation of the tag-line "Innovative combination: USB charger and Car battery tester" in eight languages. A QR Code is available for those who want more info from the website on the spot. The specifications of the device are displayed on the bottom section. The right side of the box illustrates how the Taichi TP-15TC translates the car battery charge status into a simple three color code through red, yellow, and green LEDs. A table is included to help you understand what the different lights mean. If you are in the green, you are good to go I guess.

The device is built from solid plastic and has a good feel to it despite it being very light weight. It sports a unique design based on the YinYang theme and some cool Chinese characters that read Taichi on the black side of the device. A cooling vent in the shape of the YinYang symbol is present on the white side. The face of the device has the three car battery diagnostic LED lights, one USB 1A port, one USB 2.4A port, and a switch to select 24V or 12V depending on the car battery specs. Most cars will run a 12V battery by default.

TITAN Taichi TP-25TC 2-in-1 USB Charger Closer Look:

The Taichi TP-25TC is the four USB ports variant and comes in a slightly larger box than the TP-15TC. The box is exactly the same as the smaller version in terms of layout and info provided. The Taichi TP-25TC has a 5A total output, a 3A fuse, and a bigger frame than the TP-15TC; other than that, it's a replica of the smaller version. As you can see on the last picture, the LED lights are pretty bright, especially the red one. If the battery is not at optimal charge level, the TITAN Taichi will sure let you know that!